Sunday’s Obituary-Martha Warner Goldsmith

In leafing through my Grandmother’s Scrapbook I came across the following obituary for my great great aunt Martha Warner Goldsmith, sister of my paternal great grandfather John Benjamin Warner:

     “Mrs. Martha Warner Goldsmith has passed from time into eternity.  A life long and well spent has gone from earthly scenes and left a void in her home, her church, and in her large circle of friends.
     Martha R. Warner Goldsmith was born March 3rd, 1848, and was one of 13 children.  The only living survivor of that once numerous family is Mr. Eugene Warner.
     At an early age Mrs. Goldsmith moved to New Suffolk to live with her aunt, Mrs. Jeremiah G. Tuthill Sr., and in this village the greater part of her life was spent.  Nearly seventy years ago, she became the bride of Daniel Goldsmith, one of the keepers of the Horton’s Point Light.
     While living there, her only daughter , now Mrs. Philip Horton, was born.  Shortly after this, Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith moved again to New Suffolk and successfully conducted a summer boarding house.  At the death of Mr. Goldsmith many years ago, Mrs. Goldsmith continued to carry on until advancing years compelled her to retire and move to the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Horton, at Peconic.
     There she enjoyed a most happy home life and was ministered with loving and thoughtful hearts and hands.  While always interested in community doings, the Cutchogue Presbyterian Church was the center of her social and religious life.  She joined it at the early age of twelve and remained faithful and consistent member to the end.
     Mrs. Goldsmith was for years the teacher of the Women’s Bible Class and president of the Women’s Missionary Society. The last service she felt able to attend was than a year ago, when her only great grandchild was admitted to the church that she loved so long and so well.
     Dr. Franklyn Ward of the Cutchogue Presbyterian Church conducted the last rites and her mortal remains were carried to their last resting place by six officials of her church.
“Aunt Martha Dan” has gone from us, but memories of her will long remain.”

My Legacy Family chart shows Martha’s family:

Martha Rosalie Warner was the 4th of 13 children born to Daniel and Eleanor Howell Warner on 3 March 1848 in Baiting Hollow, Suffolk Co., NY.

Martha married Daniel M. Goldsmith on 2 November 1876 in Baiting Hollow, Suffolk Co., NY.  As reported in The Descendants of Daniel Warner Jr. & Eleanor Howell Warner of Baiting Hollow LI, NY and the Warner Ancestors in England and America by Justine Warner Wells “Family lore has it that Daniel decided to sail by way of L.I. Sound to marry Martha.  He figured it wouldn’t matter much when he becalmed and arrived hours late for their wedding!”

Their only child Martha Elizabeth “Bessie” was born 10 April 1879 in New Suffolk, NY. 
I believe the great grandchild referred to in the above obituary was Philip Goldsmith Jr. who was born 6 May 1930.

Martha’s husband Daniel Goldsmith died 19 January 1918 in New Suffolk, NY.
Martha passed away on 14 September 1944 at the age of 96 in Peconic, New York.

I would like to hear any stories or information you may have to share.

Enjoy the journey,
Debby

Grandma’s Scrapbook-Following Up On a Lead

Last week (3/13/16) I posted about information I found in my Grandmother’s Scrapbook.  The information had to do with my paternal great-grandparents George and Sarah (Rowan) King’s 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration.  Among the items I found in the scrapbook was an article detailing the celebration.  In that newspaper article there was a reference made to a couple that were listed as ‘cousins’ of my great-grandfather George Washington King.  Who are Mr. & Mrs. Kris Haisloop?  I have never heard their names before.  I remembered another picture from the celebration.  Could they possibly be in this additional picture from the celebration??


First, I got the names from the newspaper clipping and my quest began….

Then I  asked my Dad and his King Family cousins (who were young children in the family photo of the celebration) if they remembered the name Kris Haisloope?  No one seemed to remember the name.  I made a guess that George’s ‘cousins’ would be from his mother’s (Sarah Barry King) sisters since the name was not ‘Barry’ like his mother’s maiden name.

Next step was to search in census records for the name.  I took a chance that ‘Haesloop’ was not a common name and that they might live near or in Brooklyn close to my great-grandparents,  I also knew that George’s mother and family grew up in Brooklyn.  This is what I found in the 1930 US census:

I found a Christian and Isabella Haesloop living in Brooklyn.  Isabella was born in the US.  They would be 50 at the time of the 50th Anniversary party.  That would fit with the ages of the people in the photo.  George and Sarah were about 60-61 years old, so, that would fit as well. (click on the picture to enlarge)

Then I looked at the information in my Legacy Family tree (3 generation Descendant chart from Ebenezer) for the children of Ebenezer and Catherine (in yellow).


Next I started searching the children of Ebenezer and Catherine Bolen Barry.  Not too much information there.  I had primarily just done my direct line and not many of the siblings and descendants.  So, I started looking in the census records to try and figure out what the married names of the female descendants might be.  I was able to figure out Ida’s married name ‘Browning’ because I looked for Ebenezer (not so common name) who was living with her in the 1900 census (Catherine had died 1891).  Using US Census reports I was able to make some guesses as to married names of some of the daughters but had no way to prove the connection to the ‘Barry’ surname.  UGH!!

After searching (for hours and days) many different names and combinations, etc. I thought to check the Public Member Trees on Ancestry.  I found several trees where Ebenezer and Catherine were listed with a varying amount of information for their children.  I looked and looked (a lot of the families had 8-10 children to follow down), wrote emails to several owners of the ‘trees’ to see if there might be a family connection and finally at 10:45 pm on Thursday there it was –the name Haesloop in one of the branches of a tree!  YEA!!!  This was so exciting but who could I call at 10:45 to share that excitement!!  I again wrote an email to the owner of that tree that finally contained the name I was looking for to thank Chris for posting his tree and doing so much research.

It turns out that Elizabeth Caroline Barry married John (Joseph?) Griffin.  They had 9 children:  Ebenezer Charles, John J. Jr., Isabella A. (Agnes?), Louisa Matilda, Mary ‘May’ Erica, Gertrude Matilda, Frederick George, William G., and Harold G.  Isabella’s 2nd husband was Christian Peter Haesloop.  YES! there is the connection!!

I have since heard from Chris and Allison who are both descendants of Ebenezer and Catherine.  I found them due to their Public Member Trees on Ancestry which helped me make the cousin connection between my great-grandfather George Washington King and Isabella Griffin Ward Haesloop.  Now I have made that connection (YEA), have a picture of them (?), hopefully have 2 new cousins in Chris and Allison that I can get to know and about 42 new people to add to my tree (always remember to double check what you find on the internet) and all because of my Grandmother’s Scrapbook.  Thanks again Grandma for helping lead me to these connections!  What a week!!

If you have any additional information or stories to share I would enjoy hearing them.

Enjoy the journey,
Debby

What can you find in Grandma’s Scrapbook?

‘Scrapbooks’.  30 or more years ago the term ‘Scrapbook’ referred to a book of plain white or black paper where you put clippings from the newspaper, etc.  Today I refer to a ‘Scrapbook’ as the place I keep nicely decorated pages with photos and related memorabilia.

I have a ‘Scrapbook’ my paternal grandmother, Agnes S. King Warner, made with clippings from newspapers and cards dating from 1910 to the 1960s.  While I have had the Scrapbook for years and looked at it when I first got it I haven’t looked at it in years.  I decided to take a look at it recently to refresh my memory of what was inside.  I had done some genealogy years ago but when I received the Scrapbook I wasn’t actively doing genealogy at the time.  I remembered there being clippings of family events.  As a girl I can remember being at my grandparents on Mondays when Mrs. Laura Rogers would call and ask my grandmother if she had any news of family happenings for the local Newspaper (The News Review) for the Calverton section.  I remember the excitement when you would see your name in the newspaper for a birthday, etc.

I found something very exciting! First for some background information. My paternal great grandparents (on my grandmother Agnes King Warner’s side) are George W. King and Sarah Rowan King.  Their pages from my Legacy family tree.



I found the following invitation, place tags and newspaper clippings about my great grandparents in my grandmother’s scrapbook…

 

 

 

While I knew there had been a 50th Anniversary celebration and I had seen the pictures I know had other pieces of valuable and fun information. 

I now have a copy of the invitation, the place tags, I know the name of the company my Great Grandfather George worked for, that the Celebration was also a renewal of their vows, I know their address, I know the name of cousins of my Great Grandfather that I never knew, I know the date and location of the celebration, who the guests were, and I also know where family members were living at the time.

Thanks Grandma for saving all these treasures for us to see all these years later!  Now I will have to take these treasures and ‘scrapbook’ them on archival pages in my Heritage Scrapbook album to preserve them even longer.

I would enjoy hearing from you if you have additional information or stories to share.  More finds later.

Enjoy the journey,
Debby

How to find Ancestors’ Personalities-Carrie’s Letters

As I do my genealogy research I often wonder about the personalities and habits of my ancestors.  It’s very difficult to know that with only dates for birth, marriages and death.  I have the advantage of a treasure trove of letters (that my paternal great grandmother Carrie Terry Warner) wrote over the course of 30 years.  My grandfather (Olin Warner, Sr.), while only 5 years old when she died, knew or had heard that his mother was often ill and passed that information on. (related posts: Carrie’s Letters, Carrie’s Letters-Snow Days, and Carrie’s Letters-Brining Ancestral letters to Life)
This letter that Carrie wrote to her sister (Ella Terry Billard), dated 129 years ago, 5 March 1887,  shows a bit about Carrie’s personality and that of my great grandfather John B. Warner, as well as, his family in general.  Carrie and John had been married about 18 months when this was written.
“You desire to know if I am well.  I have been very well all this year until this week, had some cold.  John made up his mind I would never get over it if left to myself so he constituted himself doctor.  His remedies proved very effectual indeed but his anxiety is so great and so plainly manifest that his presence would be rather depressing, to a sick person, if he did not overdo the matter so much as to keep me laughing at him all the time.  Goldsmith (John’s uncle) came up three or four times a day, “To make inquiry after the sick.”  Father Warner, if he could not see John at the barn every little while would get “So anxious” he would come up here.  Tell Father (Gilbert Terry) and Mother (Almeda Robinson Terry) not to worry about me, for with Father Warner, Goldsmith, and John I have more than is good for me already.
I enjoy knowing that my ancestors took such good care of each other.  From Carrie’s letter I can really picture the scene and the people involved so well.
I would enjoy hearing from you if you have comments or more information that you would like to share.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby